The Catawba Indian Nation, also known as Iyeye or Nieye, was once a powerful tribe in North and South Carolina. They merged with other tribes and suffered from diseases and wars, reducing their population. Today, they number around 2,600, with some living in Oklahoma and Colorado. They received recognition from the US government in 1993.
The Catawba Tribe, more properly known as the Catawba Indian Nation, is one of many Native American tribes recognized by the United States government. Derived from a Catawba toponym, Katapu, Catawba is translated as “fork in a river”. As with most names commonly used for Native Americans by others, Catawba is not the name the tribe uses for itself. Instead, the Catawba call themselves Iyeye, meaning “people” or Nieye, meaning “real people.” The tribe is sometimes called the Iswa, but there is some debate as to whether this was actually a separate tribe or another name used by Spanish settlers for the Catawba tribe.
The Catawba Indians were originally found in what is now North and South Carolina in the United States, but in the early 21st century they were primarily concentrated around the Catawba River in South Carolina and along the Carolina border. At their peak, the Catawba tribe was second only to the Cherokee in power in the area that would become Carolina. Although they were largely friendly to the European settlers, they maintained almost constant warfare with neighboring tribes, including the Iroquois, Cherokee, Shawnee, and Delaware Indians. At times, the Catawba tribe joined European settlers in battle against these tribes.
During the 17th century, when British colonists first made population estimates of the Catawba tribe, there were about 17, although these estimates were not necessarily accurate. The Catawba tribe merged with several other Indian nations, including the Iswa and several other groups that shared similar languages in the Siouan language family. At the same time, the overall number of all Native American tribes was declining due to diseases such as smallpox and the side effects of drinking alcohol, all introduced to the tribes by European settlers. For example, nearly half of the tribe died during a smallpox epidemic in 5,000. Various wars waged by the tribe or by Europeans, especially the French and Indian Wars, also significantly reduced the population.
As of 2010, the Catawba numbered approximately 2,600, with approximately 1,200 of them in South Carolina, near Rock Hill, where the tribe’s headquarters are located. About 100 lived on the Catawba State Reserve, located on 640 acres (2.6 sq km) in York County, South Carolina. Many members of the Catawba tribe were forced to migrate to Oklahoma along with the Cherokee, and groups of Catawba still live in Oklahoma and Colorado. The Catawba Tribe received recognition from the United States government in 1993.
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